Pure Digital has updated its line of handheld camcorders once again, bringing …

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Pure Digital Technologies is keeping up the pace with the constant updates to its pocket-sized camcorder line. The company introduced a new model today, the Flip Ultra HD, which brings the Ultra line up to the same HD standards that the Mino line saw last November. Like the Flip Mino HD, the Ultra HD shoots 720p footage and—in many ways—mirrors the Mino HD's feature set. So what exactly is different about these two camcorders?

We think it's best to describe the Ultra HD as a minor improvement upon the Mino HD experience. While the Mino HD has 4GB of internal, nonexpandable memory (providing 60 minutes of 720p HD footage at 30 fps), the UltraHD has twice that much—8GB of space, allowing for 120 minutes of full-resolution footage. The Ultra HD also has a larger screen than the Mino HD—a 2-inch display versus 1.5-inch on the Mino HD—and the same level of 2x digital zoom. But that's just the beginning.

There are two main features of the Ultra HD that set it apart from the Mino HD. For one, the battery compartment is now accessible by the user, allowing you to replace the AA batteries on-the-go without having to recharge via USB. This is helpful if you're on the road and don't have time to recharge, though you can still recharge the included AA batteries via USB if you want to be a little greener. Secondly, the Ultra HD has an HDMI-out port, essentially turning the little camcorder into an HD video feed for your HDTV. Those who film their kids and other family events should love this feature.

Other than that, there are very few things that set the Ultra HD apart from the Mino HD aside from aesthetics. The Mino HD is still smaller and lighter than the Ultra HD (the Ultra HD is noticeably bulkier), and the Mino HD can be "customized" with a number of colors and styles on the Flip website, while the UltraHD comes in just black or white. The controls are the same, and it comes with the same FlipShare software for both Mac OS X and Windows. (If you're interested in reading a more in-depth review of these features, see our hands-on with the software from November of 2008.)

The Flip Ultra HD costs $199.99—$30 less than the Mino HD—with several more features. In fact, with almost identical specs and the addition of an HDMI-out port, more memory, and the ability to replace the batteries, we had to wonder who would even buy the Mino HD for the same price, let alone $30 more. We inquired with Pure Digital as to whether the company planned to drop the price of the Mino HD to help balance out the dollar-per-feature costs, but the company responded by saying that it did not plan to change the pricing, and that "Ultra has always been the more affordable." Ho-kay. Let's just say we don't really recommend buying the Mino HD anymore unless you are married to the idea of a slightly smaller camcorder.

Regardless, if we thought $230 was worth the simplicity and size back in November, $200 makes it even better. However, the larger dimensions remove the advantage that Pure Digital had over Kodak's competing Zi6. For roughly the same price as the Ultra HD, the Zi6 can take the same resolution videos with much larger storage capacity (32GB) and an expandable SD card slot that can hold much more. It even has a larger screen than the Ultra HD, though the Zi6 only has AV out (and an included cable that lets you watch your videos on an HDTV). Still, we like the intuitive controls on the Flip, and the Ultra HD helps refine Pure Digital's offerings.

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Jacqui Cheng
Jacqui is an Editor at Large at Ars Technica, where she has spent the last eight years writing about Apple culture, gadgets, social networking, privacy, and more. Emailjacqui@arstechnica.com//Twitter@eJacqui